IoT and Workplace Learning

Augmented Reality has been "in discussion" for quite a while in relation to its potential impact to workplace learning. This article discusses 10 applications of Augmented Reality that will be enhanced by IoT. The train is moving - are you on board?

The article is fairly short and worth 5 minutes to read - especially applications 7 and 10.

Will the IoT Lead to Massive Layoffs or Massive Productivity? - click article to read it!

It has the potential to reduce inefficiencies - which are likely to reduce jobs (specifically those jobs that benefit from inefficiencies) and to also lower costs - which is likely to lead to lower prices - which leads to higher demand - which leads to more jobs. So there will be layoffs that impact some people and there will also be hiring - related to a different set of skills than the skills of those that were victims of the layoffs.

And I wonder what new products and services will be needed - and what portion of those new products and services will generate jobs vs be done by IoT devices (or other devices.) I choose to believe that there will be many new jobs and that if we prepare ourselves well that these jobs will be "middle-class" jobs. if we do not prepare ourselves well these jobs will be higher priced which will expand the range of jobs that succumb to automation and therefore create further job erosion.

What do you think? Why? What do you want related to the future of IoT?

So IoT is already having impact to moths, beer consumption and automobiles - at the same time? No - not yet - here's the article.

"The things you create transform from being static products into connected services,” said Rowan Trollope, SVP of Cisco's (IoT) division at Cisco Live. “This is so dramatic that it has the folks at McKinsey, who predicted trillions of dollars of impact, now coming back recently saying: we underestimated the impact of the IoT,” Trollope says. “The reality is that this transformation is so significant, it can’t be understated for all of our businesses. It is happening today in all kinds of industries.”

Think of it this way - it would be impossible for someone to patent the process of addition. But Microsoft was able to patent Excel - a product that did addition. So training companies - think about the potential to patent a technology product leveraged by IoT that will allow you to patent your "process" and enjoy the benefits (and challenges!)

What struck me about each of these applications was that - there was nothing new regarding the outcomes. What has changed is the access to data that allowed "known" problems to be solved better. With that in mind - I wonder if the "low hanging fruit" for IoT will be new solutions for old problems?

The brain does a lot of things including conscious processing of information.

The spinal cord transmits information.

The neurons take action.

So with IoT - we will have many "edge" devices that take action - including collecting data which gets transmitted to the "brain" to complete actions - perhaps consciously (via human decision) or unconsciously (autonomously.)

The connection between the device and the web services including device management.

Business logic with algorithms.

The data layer, which includes the collection, analysis and visualization of data.

The article asserts that the failure is because of a focus on 3 and 4 versus 1 and 2. All four are important and yet 1 and 2 are where failure occurs. This struck me (as most things do) as being analogous to why training projects fail.

We also do not test the course (the device) to be sure it works nor do we connect ourselves to the market or other aspects of the environment that must integrate with our course. Instead we focus on our methodology and building courses.

And will appear to be a one-way street in which the customer demands and receives an ever-improving service - but this is actually a two-way street because it will allow the provider to understand their customer better and provide what is needed when it is needed.

On the other hand if the customer does not allow IoT to "understand" them then the customer will not get the desired experience. This is not really new - it is how it has always been - IoT will take it to a new level!

OK training and education industry - we made the list - now how do we make it happen?

Energy

Healthcare

Agriculture

Transportation

Manufacturing

Education (The Connected Classroom)

The article describes how students can be better connected to content (untethered from textbooks.) This is an understatement of the potential. We need to connect learners to the real world. class Accomplishing real work in the classroom represents the potential for IoT and IIoT.